US2008034789A1PendingUtilityA1

Integrated Acid Gas And Sour Gas Reinjection Process

46
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Dec 3, 2004Filed: Oct 19, 2005Published: Feb 14, 2008
Est. expiryDec 3, 2024(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Eleanor FielerP. Scott NorthropPeter C. RasmussenEdward J. Grave
F25J 3/0266F25J 2280/40F25J 3/0209F25J 2240/30F25J 2220/66F25J 3/0233F25J 2240/02F25J 2270/04F25J 2200/76F25J 2205/20C10L 3/10F25J 3/0238F25J 2200/02F25J 2260/80F25J 2210/06Y02C20/40
46
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Claims

Abstract

A method for hydrocarbon processing is provided. In one or more embodiments, the method includes splitting a hydrocarbon stream comprising natural gas and acid gas into a first stream and a second stream. Alternatively, the first stream and second stream may be provided from other sources. The first stream is processed to remove a portion of the acid gas therefrom, thereby producing a third stream comprising the acid gas removed from the first stream and a fourth stream comprising less than 100 ppm of sulfur-containing compounds. The second stream is combined with the third stream to provide a combined stream, which is compressed and reinjected into a subterranean reservoir.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A method for producing natural gas, comprising: 
 providing a first hydrocarbon stream comprising methane and acid gas and a second hydrocarbon stream comprising methane and acid gas;    processing the first stream to remove a portion of the acid gas therefrom, thereby producing a third stream comprising the acid gas removed from the second stream and a fourth stream comprising less than 100 ppm of sulfur-containing compounds;    combining the second stream with the third stream to provide a combined stream;    compressing the combined stream; and    passing the combined stream to a subterranean reservoir.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising liquefying the fourth stream to form a liquefied natural gas stream.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising transporting the liquefied natural gas stream from a first location to a second location.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising regasifying the liquefied natural gas stream to a gaseous state.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein in the compressing step the combined stream enters a compressor as a gas and discharges from the compressor as a supercritical fluid.  
     
     
         6 . A method for hydrocarbon processing, comprising: 
 providing a first stream comprising methane and acid gas and a second stream comprising methane and acid gas;    processing the first stream to remove a portion of the acid gas therefrom, thereby producing a third stream comprising the acid gas removed from the first stream and a fourth stream comprising less than  100  ppm of sulfur-containing compounds;    combining the second stream with the third stream to provide a combined stream;    compressing the combined stream; and    passing the combined stream to a subterranean reservoir.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first and second streams are provided by splitting a feed stream into the first and second streams.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first and second streams are provided from two different sources.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising mixing the combined stream using a static mixer prior to passing the combined stream to the subterranean reservoir.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising mixing the combined stream using an eductor prior to passing the combined stream to the subterranean reservoir.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the combined stream is compressed to a pressure of about 250 bar or more.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the combined stream is compressed to a pressure of about 500 bar or more.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein in the compressing step the combined stream is a supercritical fluid at compression discharge conditions.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein in the compressing step the combined stream enters a compressor as a gas and discharges from the compressor as a supercritical fluid.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising compressing the third stream prior to combining the third stream with the second stream.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising removing water from the hydrocarbon stream prior to splitting the hydrocarbon stream into the first stream and the second stream.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising removing water from the second stream prior to combining with the third stream.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising removing water from the third stream prior to combining with the second stream.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein processing the first stream comprises contacting the first stream with one or more amine solvents.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein processing the first stream comprises contacting the first stream with MDEA.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein processing the first stream comprises treating the first stream using cryogenic distillation.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein at least 10% by volume of the hydrocarbon stream is split into the first stream.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein at least 50% by volume of the hydrocarbon stream is split into the first stream.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein at least 20% by volume of the hydrocarbon stream is split into the second stream.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the fourth stream is an enriched gas stream for fuel consumption.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the split of the feed stream is determined by the volume of the fourth stream that is needed for sale, use, or both.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the split of the feed stream is determined by the volume of the second stream that is needed to achieve the discharge pressure of 300 bars or more in the compressing step.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the third stream comprises methane, nitrogen and helium.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the fourth stream comprises carbon dioxide, one or more sulfur-containing compounds, ethane, and hydrocarbons having three or more carbon atoms.  
     
     
         30 . A method for hydrocarbon reinjection, comprising: 
 at least partially separating a hydrocarbon stream comprising methane, ethane, propane, carbon dioxide, water, one or more sulfur-containing compounds, and of from 0.5% to 10% by volume of one or more hydrocarbons having four or more carbon atoms at conditions sufficient to produce a first stream comprising one or more sulfur-containing compounds and at least 2% by volume of the carbon dioxide based on the total volume of the second stream and a second stream comprising one or more hydrocarbons having four or more carbon atoms;    treating the first stream in a distillation column having a controlled freeze zone to produce a third stream comprising methane, ethane, and propane, and a fourth stream comprising carbon dioxide and one or more sulfur-containing compounds;    passing the second stream around the distillation column and mixing the bypassed second stream with the fourth stream to produce a combined stream; and    passing the combined stream into a subterranean reservoir.    
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the at least partially separating includes evaporating.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the conditions occur at a pressure at or above 30 bars.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the conditions occur at a temperature at or below −40° C.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein treating the second stream comprises distilling the second stream in the presence of a refrigerant to produce the third stream comprising methane, ethane, and propane, and the fourth stream comprising carbon dioxide and one or more sulfur-containing compounds.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the hydrocarbon stream comprises of from about 2% by volume to about 65% by volume of carbon dioxide.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising compressing the combined stream to a pressure of 700 bar or more prior to passing the combined stream into the reservoir.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising removing water from the hydrocarbon stream prior to at least partially separating the hydrocarbon stream.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising removing water from the hydrocarbon stream prior to at least partially separating the hydrocarbon stream, wherein the water is removed by contacting the hydrocarbon stream with a molecular sieve.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising removing water from the second stream prior to treating the second stream in the distillation column having the controlled freeze zone.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising removing water from the second stream prior to treating the second stream in the distillation column having the controlled freeze zone, wherein the water is removed by contacting the second stream with a molecular sieve.

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